Tebas: Match-fixing must be admitted before it can be stopped

By Tom Maston

The vice-president of the LFP, who previously questioned the legality of some Spanish matches, is not surprised that Europol have found so many games that might have been fixed

The vice-president of the Spanish Football League (LFP), Javier Tebas, has said that he believes the footballing authorities need to first admit that match-fixing happens in the sport before it can be eradicated.

A Europol investigation has gained evidence of fixing in 380 matches across Europe in recent years, but Tebas, who has previously claimed that matches in Spain have been bought, is not shocked by these revelations.

"These cases take time to recover, this one has been investigated for over two years. It is a phenomenon that affects many countries and many competitions," he told Marca.

"The cheats should be removed from football, but we first have to admit that there is a problem."

And Tebas reiterated that governing bodies must first admit there is an issue.

"This disease is not admitted, so there is no cure for the patient yet. Some institutions are not yet aware of what is happening.

"There exists conspiracy and illegal gambling. It is at a small percentage, but in Spain there is also corruption."